New Jersey is a barbecue wasteland -- how did this happen?

I know that headline is not exactly what you're expecting during National Barbecue Month, but I call 'em like I see 'em, and this BBQ lover has been moaning all millennium about the lack of great 'cue in New Jersey. North Jersey especially.

Can you find good barbecue in this state? Sure, but you really have to search high and low for places that cook low and slow - and do it well.

I'm talking Southern barbecue - not Portuguese, Korean or any other kind.

I hit four previously-unvisited (and well-regarded) barbecue places late last week - three were mediocre (and that's being kind), one was really good.

That, in a nutshell, is the state of barbecue in New Jersey. More bad than good, and don't even get me started on what passes for barbecue in sports bars, restaurants and elsewhere.

TripAdvisor just announced its list of the nation's top 10 barbecue states and BBQ places, and it's no surprise that New Jersey does not appear on either list. Also no surprise that the South dominates the rankings -- Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Georgia are the top five states, with South Carolina at 7.

But before you say there's no great BBQ north of the Mason-Dixon Line, consider that New York is number ten on the list, based on marks by TripAdvisor travelers. Dozens of BBQ joints have sprung up in the big city in recent years; the resurgence just hasn't spread to this side of the river.

I'm guessing that barbecue is probably way down on the list of an up-and-coming Jersey chef's choice for his/her first restaurant. Many of the places on my list below are spare storefronts, or roadside operations.

Part of our reputation as a barbecue wasteland is that we're conditioned or forced to accept inferior product. We believe, because of barbecue brainwashing by chains or others, that "falling off the bone'' meat -- too often what you find here -- is something to be desired.

"Falling off the bone'' is shorthand for overcooked or improperly-cooked meat. "Real barbecue should be an exercise for the teeth,'' a pitmaster once told me. If one more person raves about "falling-off-the-bone'' ribs, I'll scream.

Look at the side-by-side shots of barbecue - one "falling off the bone,'' one properly cooked - in the gallery. There's a big visual difference and, more important, a vast taste difference.

I asked Steve Raab, co-owner of Local Smoke BBQ in Neptune City and Cookstown, if he agreed with my assessment of NJ as a BBQ wasteland.

"I do and I don't (agree),'' he said. "People have perfected Southern barbecue in New Jersey. But I don't think there can be a lot of (great) BBQ places because of health regulations.''

I'll disagree with him about that first part. People may have duplicated Southern barbecue in NJ, but perfected? That's another matter. As far as regulations, he'd love to build a smoke shack outside, and install a bigger smoker, but he can't.

Taste of Smoke, 400 S. New Prospect Road, Jackson; (732) 276-6155. Rory Ellinsky and crew know what they're doing. Just look at the full rack of ribs. Meaty, tasty, tender ribs, and none of that falling-off-the-bone nonsense. Mac and cheese with bits of rib meat, and a standout homemade cole slaw. How did that Johnny Cash song go? "I'm going to Jackson. . .''

The Wood Pit, 108 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; (973) 954-4679. Simple storefront has been around for what seems like forever, but still flies under the barbecue radar. Excellent dry-rubbed pork ribs and BBQ chicken, and the homemade hot sauce is a must.